Rare Mustang Creates Frenzy for Upcoming Auction

Hidden in a tiny garage underneath a thick layer of dust was something Ron Gilligan of State College never expected to find - a 1969 Shelby Mustang GT-500 with a 428 Cobra Jet engine and less than 9,000 miles on the odometer.

The car belonged to Larry Brown, 76, of Centre Hall who passed away last September. Gilligan is tasked with auctioning off Brown's estate, which includes the vintage Mustang.

Friends told Gilligan that Brown never washed the Mustang out of fear it would cause rust. It is finished in Black Jade with a black interior and 4-speed transmission. It has exactly 8,531 miles logged.

Starting at 12:30 p.m. Friday in Centre Hall, Gilligan and his team will begin auctioning off the Shelby Mustang and other vehicles. Gilligan expects roughly 1,000 people to attend the auction with roughly 100 interested buyers from across the country. The winning bid is expected to be between $100,000 and $200,000, Gilligan says.

Gilligan says rumors that former Tonight Show host and car collector Jay Leno may be sending a representative to the auction are just that – rumors.

To prepare the vehicle for auction, Gilligan hired Ken Heckert, who is nationally known for detailing vehicles. Heckert spent a weekend extensively cleaning the exterior with some minor work on the interior and under the hood.

"Everyone in the car world trusts this man for what he does," Gilligan says.

While the Mustang seems to be what everyone is talking about, Gilligan notes there are other vehicles up for auction as part of Brown's estate.

For example, a 1974 Ford Econoline Van Brown purchased new in State College and then had shipped to Indiana where it was customized, painted and shag carpeted. The van was driven back to Brown's home and has only seen 555 miles.

Then there's the 1971 Ford Ranchero. Gilligan says there were only few hundred made like it. There's also a 2003 Harley-Davidson with only seven miles on the odometer.

Jennifer Miller is a reporter for StateCollege.com. She has worked in journalism since 2005. She's covered news at the local, state and national level with an emphasis on crime and local government.
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